Save the Children Shows What's Actually Involved in Saving Children
For Save the Children in the U.K., indie agency Don't Panic released "Our Proudest Moments Are Theirs," directed by Marcus Söderlund of Academy.
The hero video below was cut into two additional 30-second spots that zero in on a couple of the stories shown: The Liberian woman waiting for a midwife, and Ali in Syria, who learns to write his name thanks to a volunteer teacher in a refugee camp.
The midwife story is inspired by Alice Sumo, an actual Save the Children-trained midwife who delivered her first baby, at gunpoint, on the streets of Liberia. She's since delivered over 1,000 babies in 28 years, and really did travel by motorbike to get to smaller villages.
A third segment in the hero video focuses on a Bangladeshi girl, Milli, who is reunited with her mother as part of a Save the Children reunification program. The group operates in over 100 countries, and focuses on ensuring safety, health and learning opportunities for kids.
"We want people to see Save the Children for what it is: a collaborator, offering tailored, compassionate and impactful support, regardless of where it might be needed," says George McCallum, a creative director at Don't Panic. The agency favors work with charitable organizations and purpose-led brands, like WaterAid and Greenpeace.
"The organization doesn't just ride in when disaster strikes," McCallum continues. "It is there for all the moments, big and small. For this campaign we focussed on those moments, things that change the course of children's lives."
The ad succeeds at showing that a crisis doesn't end with the lightning-strike of the event. Tragedies are often ongoing, necessitating interventions for disruptions that could continue indefinitely.
"We used a naturalistic mise-en-scène to closely mirror the real world, while remaining true to the authentic emotions and the actual narratives in these real-life stories," says Söderlund. "I loved the freedom during this process and the opportunity to explore complex human emotions and social situations."
The work ends with its tagline: "Our proudest moments are theirs," then elaborates on the scope of Save the Children's mission: "Every minute. Every Day. All around the world." The campaign went live last week on Channel 4, ITV and satellite and digital stations throughout the U.K.
CREDITS
CAMPAIGN: “Our Proudest Moments Are Theirs”
BRAND: Save The Children
Brand Lead // Laura Solomon
Creative Lead // Lucy Titterington
Safeguarding lead & Photographer // Tom Maguire
Head of Brand // Emma Cooke
Director of Brand // Kate Hewitt
Head of Creative Content and Stories // Ivy Lahon
Senior Insight Manager // Maylis Rasmussen
AGENCY // Don’t Panic @dontpanicldn
Founder // Joe Wade
Strategic Partner // Ellie Moore
Strategist // Anna Petrescu
Creative Partner // Rick Dodds
Creative Director // George McCallum
Creative // Katie Richardson
Client Partner // Jane Marshall
Head of Client Services // Georgia Williams
Senior Account Manager // Harriet Alway
Executive Producer // Jennifer Clare Houlihan
Junior Producer // Ani Bosco
PRODUCTION COMPANY // Academy
Director // Marcus Söderlund
Joint MD // Medb Riordan
Executive Producer // Darapen Vongsa-Nga
Producer // Kishan Patel
Production Manager // Georgia McClure
DOP // Daniel Takacs
SERVICE PRODUCTION COMPANY // Ginger Ink
Producer // Guy Wilson
Production Manager // Tina Kabuthu
1st AD // Isaya Evans
Focus Puller/ DIT // Ishmael Azeli
2nd AC // Anthony Kariuki
DIT // Meshack Otieno
Sound Recordist // Daniel Chu
Art DIrector // Wanjiku Mbugua
Art Assist #01 // Peter Ngunjiri
Locations Manager // Anthony Rimwah Unit Manager // Joyce Nyambura
Makeup // Valerie Mdeizi
Gaffer // Paul Atoni
Light Assist // Victor Kamonde
Genny Operator // Anthony Wachira Set Medic // Humphrey Wachira
Casting DIrector // Isaya Evans
Casting Assistant // Ivy Collette
EDIT // Whitehouse Post
Editor // Ben Canny
Executive Producer // Annabel Bennett Producer // Ella Sedgwick
Edit Assistant // Steven Waltham
Edit Assistant // Thomas Sheriff
POST // Rascal
Executive Creative Director //Kalle Lundberg 2D Lead // John Thornton
2D // Richard Mckeand
Motion Graphics // Max Williams
Colourist // James Bamford
Sound Designer // Neil Johnson & Izaak Buffin Executive Producer // Matt Towell
Producer // Stacia Akaba
Colour Producer // Ben Spalding
Sound Producer // Maddy Lebel
Head of Production // James Beck
SOUND // Rascal
MUSIC:
Score // Lisa Nordstöm
Bangladesh // Linus Hasselberg
Liberia // Linus Hasselberg
Syria // Christian Olsson
Cast Credits
Bangladesh
Milli // Navya Bhakhri
STC Reunification Worker // Pritul Raithatha Mother // Aseem Sharma
Liberia
Midwife // Camelyne Imali
Expectant mother // Lucy Sein
Baby // Stephanie Sein
Syria
Ali // Hussein Ibrahim
Teacher // Sally Ashmauy
